MAHLE CML-7X4: one set of columns that takes a 5" wheel and a 24.5" wheel

The specification that decides whether a mobile column system actually suits your shop is not the tonnage. It is the carriage. The CML-7X4's forks are 12" and its patented self-centering adjustable carriage accepts wheel diameters from 5" to 24.5" — which is the difference between a lift system for trucks and a lift system for a fleet. A transit van, a box truck, a coach and a light-duty pickup can all be raised on the same four columns, without a second set of adapters and without a second lift.

The set is rated at 14,000 lb per column, giving 56,000 lb — 28 ton — across four. Ample for a loaded straight truck, a school bus or a municipal chassis, and equally usable in pairs for axle, brake and wheel work on something much smaller.

Why the carriage range is the number to check first

Mobile columns lift by the wheels. That is what makes them universal in a way a fixed lift never is — nothing has to be positioned under a frame, so a chassis you have never seen before can still be lifted safely this afternoon. But it also means the carriage decides your compatibility list, not the capacity.

A system that only fits large truck wheels sits idle whenever the work coming through the door is lighter. The 5" to 24.5" span, with a self-centering carriage that finds the wheel rather than being aligned by eye, is what MAHLE means by heavy-duty through light-duty — and on a mixed fleet the alternative is two lifting systems.

Wireless, and what that removes

The columns run on 24-volt battery power and communicate wirelessly — MAHLE describes it as the industry's original wireless communication system for mobile columns and holds patented smart lift technology on it. The practical effect is not convenience, it is floor space.

With no external wires or cords between the columns, the area under the vehicle is genuinely clear — which matters most in the jobs these lifts are bought for: transmission removal, clutch replacement, driveline and undercarriage work, where a technician is moving a heavy component under a raised chassis. It also means columns can be repositioned without rerouting anything.

Control is a tablet-based touch screen carrying on-board manuals, videos and internet access. That is worth more in a fleet shop than it sounds: the procedure is on the machine, in front of the technician using it, instead of in a binder in the office. A down-stop visual safety system is patent pending, and columns can be run singly, in pairs or as the full set.

Will It Fit?

Check these against your building before you commit. Confirming them is the buyer's responsibility.

• Ceiling. Each column stands 88.5 in (2,248 mm) at rest and reaches 157.13 in (3,991 mm) at full lift. The second figure is the one that decides whether the system works in your building, and it is measured to the top of the column — the vehicle sits above the carriage, not above the column, so also allow for lights, door tracks and services.
• Lift height. The specification lists a minimum of 32 in (813 mm) and a maximum of 69 in (1,753 mm) at the top of the pad. At full height that is 69 inches of clear standing room under the vehicle.
• Floor. Each column weighs 1,485 lb (674 kg) empty, and that load moves. Mobile columns are wheeled into position under load-bearing wheels, so the floor has to take both the static weight and the point loading of a raised vehicle. If you have any doubt about the slab — thickness, condition, expansion joints, a basement or a service pit below — get it assessed before purchase, not after delivery.
• Wheels. 5 in to 24.5 in diameter (127 mm to 622 mm), on 12 in forks.
• Speed. 60 in per minute (1,524 mm per minute) at maximum load.
• Hydraulics. Maximum operating pressure 2,180 psi; peak power 4 HP (3 kW).
• Charging. Battery columns need somewhere to live and charge between shifts. Plan the parking positions and the outlets at the same time as the lifting positions.

Power supply: our records give two different answers

We would rather flag this than have you discover it with an electrician on site. The information we hold for the CML-7X4 disagrees with itself about what the shop has to supply.

Those describe two different installations. MAHLE's own bullet calls it a 24 volt mobile column, which agrees with the specification sheet; the three-phase entry may be a field inherited from a fixed-lift product, but we will not assert that for you. Before you arrange any electrical work, ask us to confirm the charging supply in writing and we will get it from MAHLE.

Perfect For

• Mixed commercial fleets — the carriage range is the reason, so vans, trucks and buses share one system.
• Municipal and transit garages running refuse trucks, buses and light service vehicles from the same building.
• Truck dealerships and independent HD shops where bay layout changes with the work.
• Shops that cannot install a fixed lift — leased buildings, floors that cannot be cut, or bays that must be usable for other work.
• Mobile and field service operations, where the lift travels to the vehicle.

Specifications

MAHLE offers this platform at higher capacity too: the feature list references a 19,000 lb per-column option and a wide-base version. Ask us if your vehicles sit above 14,000 lb per corner.

Certification and inspection: what we can tell you, and what we cannot

The product data we hold for the CML-7X4 does not record a third-party safety certification, and we are not going to imply one. That is a more consequential gap on a commercial vehicle lift than on most equipment, so here is why it may matter to you specifically.

Many fleet operators, insurers and jurisdictions require vehicle lifts to carry a recognised North American third-party safety listing, and some require documented periodic inspection by a qualified inspector as a condition of coverage. A manufacturer's own patents and design claims — and this system has several — are not that document, and no amount of feature quality substitutes for it if your policy or your code names one.

So before you buy: check what your insurer, your fleet policy and your local authority actually require, and ask us in writing what certification documentation MAHLE supplies with this model. We would rather answer that question now than have you find the answer during an audit.

Shipping and Delivery

This is a set of four columns at 1,485 lb each, so treat the delivery as a project rather than a parcel. It ships as freight within the lower 48 states and the cost is quoted live at checkout, because carrier pricing on a shipment this size moves week to week.

Unloading is the customer's responsibility: a forklift with the capacity and fork length for a crated column, a dock, or an arrangement to collect from the carrier's terminal — decided before the order goes in, not when the truck is outside. If the address is residential, say so, because residential delivery is a separate service and carries a fee. Inspect every crate before signing: note damage on the bill of lading at delivery, photograph it, and keep the packaging. Once a clean receipt is signed, a damage claim on equipment at this value is very hard to pursue.

Warranty

Covered by the manufacturer's warranty. The terms are not part of the data attached to this listing and a paraphrased warranty on a system at this price is worth nothing — our warranty claims page explains how to open a claim. Two things protect you: keep the commissioning and inspection records from day one, and do not disassemble a column or a hydraulic assembly before the claim is raised. The manufacturer will want the fault in the state it occurred.